Yes, Butch, There is a Santa Claus
Now that Trelawney's concert at Mercy was over it was time for everyone to come to Prudence's special night. Of course, dancing in The Nutcracker was special, but Trelawney had really been the star. Prudence hoped that someday when she was old enough that she would get to play Clara. She still had a couple of years that she could be in the party scene as a child. She felt lucky that her Grammy and Grampie liked to help with the costumes and sets.
But on Christmas Eve, she was going to get to be in the Christmas pageant again. Last year she had played one of the angels on the rooftop of the stable. This year, she would get to be one of the angels who tell the shepherds that Jesus was born. She would even get to recite a Bible verse.
"For today in the city of David a savior is born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."
Then with the rest of the angel chorus, she would get to sing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." She was glad that even though pageant was at Trinity Church, Father Bob was still in charge of the show. He had the best ideas and Pastor Jason said that he was no good at that. But the whole family would be there. Trelawney was going to play the piano, but nobody would see her and everyone had promised not to make a fuss over her. That way she wouldn't be all upset like she was at the ballet.
Hal was going to help Topher with the light and sound again. Hannah and Miriam were going to be in the angel chorus with her. It was funny because Mrs. Tucker insisted that Sarah be in the pageant too. She wanted to be a shepherd because she was so much taller than all the angels. But she had to be a shepherdess. This year Rachel was going to be Mary. That made Prudence very happy.
Since Mrs. Tucker wanted all of her children involved, Rebecca was going to give out punch with her and Mommy. That was kind of funny, because Rebecca didn't even like children. The only one in their family not involved was Butch. Well, Maisie wasn't involved, but she didn't count.
Prudence had thought that Maisie would be a very good baby Jesus. She had seen the Christmas movie The Bells of St. Mary's. And in that Christmas pageant, someone's baby brother had been baby Jesus, but he kept walking away. Prudence knew that they wouldn't have that problem with Maisie because she couldn't even crawl. And she was such a good baby that she never even cried. When she explained it all to Father Bob, he said that it was a good idea.
Mommy had had a very funny look on her face when she asked to borrow Maisie for the pageant. Trelawney had even laughed out loud. But it turned out that Maisie didn't want to be in the pageant. She cried and cried like never before. Finally they gave up. But no one even tried to get Butch to be in the pageant. She said that he would be very good as the cranky old innkeeper who made Mary and Joseph stay in the stable for the night, but Father Bob told her that she had had enough ideas for one year.
Nana and Papa were coming of course. Only this year they would sit with Mommy, Daddy, Maisie, Grampie, Grammy, and Butch in the audience. And they wouldn't try to sneak out the back door. Butch didn't even want to sit in the audience, but Daddy told him that if he didn't come then Santa would only leave coal in his stocking, no presents. Prudence thought that that was funny. Butch wasn't happy about going, but he would have been even more unhappy with coal the next morning.
After the pageant they all ran around and had fun. Even Trelawney was finally happy. In fact, Prudence had not seen her so happy in a very long time. They had moved her back into the house that afternoon, but she wasn't as happy as she was now after the show. Grampie said that it was probably because she hadn't really believed that it was true until it happened.
Prudence knew that Grammy was still sad that she was coming home but she didn't think that she would be too sad. Grampie had told them that for Christmas, his present to her was a vacation to some island called Tahiti. He said that it was going to be beautiful, warm, and sunny. It was even farther away than Hawaii.
And it was a big surprise. Prudence was kind of surprised that they even told her about it because she was such a big tattletale. But Grampie took her aside and told her that she was such a big girl now that she could keep a secret like that and that made her feel important. She promised not to let him down.
The only thing that had annoyed her was that during their Christmas vacation, Butch was going to get to spend a couple of days at Nana and Papa's house all by himself. It bothered her that he was going to get to be them alone and she would be left at home. Usually she was the one who got to go all by herself. But Papa said that it was time for someone else to have a turn. And Hal didn't want to go because he didn't want to be away from Sharon during the break.
Prudence liked Sharon a lot. She didn't have any brothers and sisters, so when she came over their house, she didn't mind it when the rest of them were around. She even like being with Francine. Prudence had a feeling that she didn't know that Francine used to have a really big crush on Hal. Now she didn't even look at him. Of course, Hal had never looked at her, and he was in high school now. Sharon was in high school too so maybe Francine realized that she couldn't compete with that.
When she told Trelawney that, she had laughed. She said that Francine couldn't care less about Hal. She had met a nice boy from St. Michael's Boys School at a Mercy dance and they were secret friends. Mrs. Fowler wouldn't let her have a boyfriend, but Trelawney let them call each other up at Grammy's house. But since Mommy paid more attention to them when they over, she wouldn't be able to do that anymore. Francine was probably the only one except Butch who didn't want Trelawney to move home. Well, she was happy for Trelawney, but sad for herself.
Prudence liked going home that night with everyone in the car. They were going to have Christmas Eve by themselves, with no Grammy and Grampie. They had cocoa and cookies like last year and then they all hung up their Christmas stockings. Then Daddy read the Bible passage about baby Jesus and they put the figures into Mommy's beautiful Nativity, with Mommy putting in the last one, the baby Jesus. She looked very, very happy when she put baby Jesus in.
Because Grammy and Grampie weren't there to do it, Trelawney read the St. Nicholas poem. But they still needed someone to read "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus." They had a talk about it.
"It's too hard for me to read," said Prudence.
Trelawney looked thoughtful.
"Well, I've read and so have the Professor," she said. "Phoebe put the baby Jesus in the manger and Maisie's too little."
Maisie gave a little chirp of agreement. Then Hal had an idea.
"Hey, Butch," he said. "Why don't we play rock, paper, scissors?"
"You mean the loser has to read?" said Burch with an attitude.
"No," said Hal patiently. "The winner reads."
Butch rolled his eyes.
"That's dumb," he said. "I don't want to win. You can read it."
"Why Hal!" said Trelawney enthusiastically. "That's a splendid idea! Don't be such a party pooper, Butch! I do believe that jolly old Father Christmas still has time to change his mind about the coal in your stocking."
Butch looked at Daddy who nodded a little. Then he scowled at her, but stood up with Hal.
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" said Hal as they pounded their fists against their hands.
Then their hands flashed out.
"You win!" said Hal. "Scissors cuts paper."
"That's not fair," complained Butch. "You always do rock. And rock breaks scissors."
"I changed my mind this time," said Hal with a smile.
Reluctantly, Butch took the paper that Daddy offered him. Prudence knew that it wasn't a long letter and she was glad. She was tired of all this listening. When Butch started, he mumbled. But after a dirty look from Daddy, he started to read loudly and much more clearly. In fact, Prudence had never known him to be such a good reader before. Everyone was watching, including Maisie. And when it was done, she clapped her little hands. Trelawney stared at her.
"Has she done that before?" she asked.
"No," said Daddy. "But after all the shows that we took her to, I'm sure that that was where she figured it out."
Trelawney looked thoughtful. Maisie looked from her to Butch and smiled at both of them. She even made a little noise that sounded like a giggle. She had never done that before either.
"I believe, Butch," said Trelawney seriously. "That whether or not you were trying, you have made your baby sister very happy."
Butch looked around and then walked over to Mommy and Maisie. Maisie smiled up at him. He put out his hand and she grabbed his finger. He smiled back at her for a second and then went upstairs.
"I do believe that the Grinch's heart has just grown several sizes larger," said Daddy.
They looked at each other and they all laughed. Prudence wasn't even sure of why.
Later that night, she lay in her bed thinking about everything. She was just a tiny bit jealous, because even though Trelawney was home and she had a new baby sister, she still didn't have a roommate. It didn't seem fair, especially since the nursery was so crowded now. Daddy told them about the addition on the house, but that would be a room for Trelawney and Maisie. Hal wasn't too happy either. They were going to leave the nursery empty for the next baby. That meant that he and Butch still had to room together.
But she still couldn't figure out what had happened to Butch. By the time he got to the end of the letter, she could have sworn that she had seen a tear in his eye. She tried to stay awake to hear the sound of the reindeer hoofs on the roof. But she was too tired. She quickly fell asleep.
Christmas Dreams
Trelawney curled up with Tessa in her new room with Maisie. She could hear the sound of the baby breathing softly. She was happy that the nightlight was on. She still didn't like the dark. In fact she had a feeling that she never would. But with her little Maisie for company, she knew that nothing could get at her.
She snuggled down under the patchwork quilt that her Mum had made before she was born. She felt safe. It reminded her of the time when Mum and Papa were still alive. No one truly understood how dreadfully she still missed them, except for Auntie Anna.
She heard another sigh and realized that Elspeth had fallen asleep at the end of the bed. She knew that Waldo was unhappy, but Phoebe had explained it all to him. She needed Elspeth to guard her from the dangers that still lurked in the shadows. The unicorn might be dead, but the forces that had used him to try and destroy her were still there. They always would be. But there was another reason why she felt safe and happy.
After the pageant, she had followed Topher as he tried to escape from the insanity of all the children running around. She had caught him at the back door. He had turned the instant that she had called his name and told her that she shouldn't be there. But in fact she knew that she had to be there. She had to know what she had done to drive him away. She wanted to apologize, to beg for his forgiveness, and to ask him to be her friend once more.
But in an instant, she learned that it was Phoebe who had driven him away. He was hurt for he deeply loved her. He wanted a betrothal, just like she did. He didn't want her as a woman because she was a little girl. But he wanted them to be promised to one another. He would go away to school next year, but he wanted her to know that while he was gone, he would be faithful to her. And when she became angry with Phoebe, he had begged her not to be. Topher was so wonderful that he would never want to come between her and her Phoebe.
It was amazing. They had said so much to each other without using words. She thought of how the others had all thought that Topher was an outsider, but he really wasn't, at least not to Trelawney. Standing to close together and looking into each other's eyes, they knew their thoughts and feelings. She had never felt her heart open up so much to anyone, not even Phoebe or Mum or Papa. This was all new. And what Topher felt for her was real. He knew that she was the only one for him, just as she knew that there could be no other for her except him.
And then he called her Trelawney Rose. The only people who ever called her Trelaeney Rose were her closest family. He said that he loved her very much. He promised to come back for her. He kissed her forehead and she threw herself into his arms. He held her tightly and stroked her hair, just as she had always dreamed he would. And as he held her, she felt the warmth of his love rush through her very being. He had never loved the beautiful singer. He only loved her.
But then he pulled them apart. She told him that she loved him and let him go. She knew in her heart that someday he would return and they would be together. She thought of what her Auntie Anna had said about her Mum and how she had always loved Papa. She said that she saw that same kind of love in Trelawney's eyes. But it had frightened Topher.
He knew the evil things that people would think of him if they knew how he loved her. But Topher would never be like that. He wanted her for his wife. And in her world, men only did those things with their wives. Topher, her Topher, understood that. She could not understand this world out here where people acted on their impulses, even worse than she did. She knew that there was many boys Topher's age who had already taken one girl, often more. But Topher never had. He was waiting for her. But he would wait until their wedding night.
She remembered that Papa had not even looked at Mum until she was old enough to be his wife. Now she knew why. But that was how it was in the village. You waited for your parents to arrange the betrothal and then you married. But Auntie Anna was right. She knew that no one was ever going to betroth Trelawney to anyone. They didn't think that she could be a wife.
She didn't know if she could be a wife either. In fact, she wouldn't know until she tried. But she knew that it wouldn't make any difference to Topher. What they shared would never be defined by physical love. They were similar in mind and heart. He needed her and she needed him. They filled the empty parts in each other's souls.
She knew now that Topher possessed all the logic and reason that she lacked. And she had all the romantic inclinations that he lacked. She was highly intuitive in a way that he would never be, especially where others were concerned. He needed her to fulfill his destiny. Without him, she had no true destiny of her own.
Centuries ago, Phoebe and the Professor had been her parents, but they had died young and left her alone. Then in this lifetime, when Mum and Papa had died young, they had left her alone. But they really hadn't. Mum never knew why she had worked so hard to join their hearts together. Trelawney was sure that Mum knew nothing of that past lifetime, but she knew that she and Phoebe were connected in heart and mind by more than just sisterly bonds.
If she did not marry Topher, then she would stay with Phoebe and the Professor always. It was something of a consolation prize. If she could not have her perfect other half, then she would have the care of the parents then she had lost so many years ago. But now that she knew of her alternate destiny. That was what she wanted. She would love her Phoebe as no one else and she would love her Topher as no one else. It was impossible to say which she loved more, because the loves were so different.
She wondered what the future would bring. When would Topher come for her? He couldn't become officially betrothed or engaged to her. Uncle David would never agree to that. She thought that perhaps that they could elope like Phoebe. But she really didn't want to elope. She wanted a wedding in the little church back home. She wanted to wear Great-great-grandmother Figalilly's wedding dress with the orange blossom in the springtime. And then she and Topher would be together forever.
She fell asleep dreaming of him. She dreamed that one day he would return and they would be together. But that would be in many years. Maybe now they could be friends. He could talk to her again. Hopefully Phoebe wouldn't mind. But now she knew why Maisie had smiled at him first. Maisie had always known.
"Be a Good Son"
Butch woke up very early on Christmas morning. In past years, he would have woken up Hal and Prudence and then they all would have woken up Mom and Dad. But he didn't want to wake anyone else up. He wanted to have some time alone to think. It was weird, but he suddenly realized that he had been behaving like a jerk for the past few months.
Sure, he was mad at his father, but it had always been like that. Every time that he thought that his Dad might be liking him and not comparing him to Hal, he had to go and mess it up. Mom had always liked him for who he was. And she had always been on Dad's case because he didn't. But this year, something just kind of snapped.
Mr. McGough was a really cool guy. He was kind of like Mom. He never seemed to be trying to like him, he just did. And he never made a big deal out of his grades. He just told him that he was smart. With Dad, being smart meant getting good grades. What else was he supposed to think? Since he never got good grades, of course he was dumb.
But last summer had been the limit. Just because Hal was away, Dad paid him more attention. He went to his baseball games and even talked to him when he wasn't busy taking care of Mom. But he didn't have a problem with that. Mom really needed him and she deserved to have all of his attention. He had been really worried about her and the baby.
But then the baby was born and Hal came home. So what does Dad do? All of the sudden he's, like, invisible again and Hal is the big hero. What the heck did Hal do all summer? He wasn't even home when they had to go see Aunt Henrietta and the big storms came up. But the minute he comes home, there's Dad, going on and on about how proud he is of him.
Big deal, he gets a scholarship to go away to a summer program and then has lots of fun with all of his scientific stuff. Butch had fun too, but he had to work real hard out in the hot sun. Then, Dad doesn't have time to even go to his baseball league's big dinner. Butch won the all-star award for relief pitcher and Dad wasn't even there. He apologized because he said that he didn't know that it was an awards dinner. But Butch knew better. Dad and Hal went out for one of their "men's night out dinners."
They had never even thought to invite Butch along. Butch might have understood, if Hal was actually a man, but he was just a teenager, a freshman in high school. But Butch had learned a long time ago not to complain. If he did, then Dad would explain that they didn't think that he was interested. Then he would invite him along to prove that he wasn't.
The report card was the worst. Big deal, he got straight A's. Well, it was a big deal to Dad because now he got to say I told you so. He told him to blast off and went up to his room. If he didn't have to bring back the report card signed the next day, he would have torn it up. He didn't even know why. He just wanted to.
Last night he was really mad when Hal and Trelawney made him read that letter. He knew that they had plotted it together. But something weird happened after he started reading it. He felt as if someone had written the letter to him. He knew that what he was doing to his Dad was wrong. But now he didn't know what to do.
He remembered that he had really liked the letter last year when Grammy had read it to them. There was something about it that made sense. He thought that the letter really did talk about the true meaning of Christmas. He thought about Trelawney and how she never really liked presents. She thought that people gave you presents because they didn't want to give you time.
She might be crazy, but Butch thought that she was probably right. Uncle Bob and Uncle Ben always gave them the biggest and best presents, but they never spent any time with them. And Grammy and Grampie and Nana and Papa used to give them really neat presents, but now they didn't. They spent lots of time with them. Butch had to admit that he liked that better.
He thought about how Prudence was jealous of him (for once) because he was going to get to spend a few days with Nana and Papa all by himself. She was jealous because he was getting their time. And then there was Trelawney. When Cousin Sylvia and Aunt Annabel stayed for an extra two weeks to be with her, he knew that that made her happier than anything that they could have bought her.
Butch could see that it was starting to get light out. He was surprised that no one else was up yet. Usually on Christmas morning, everyone woke up while it was still dark out. Quietly, he got out of bed and went downstairs to see if maybe someone else wasn't up too.
When he went into the living room, he saw Trelawney sitting in front of Mom's Nativity scene. She had drawn her knees up to her chest and put her arms around them. Her head was bent over. Butch had a feeling that she was crying. He didn't know what to do. He was afraid that if he left her, that Mom might see her and get all sad too. But he didn't know what to say to her. Then he thought of something.
He silently went over and knelt down beside her. He could hear her crying very softly and could see that she was rocking herself. He patted her on the back and said, "there, there," just like Mom and Grammy did when she cried. She lifted up her face and looked at him.
"Please go away, Butch Everett," she said through her tears. "I do not want to see you right now."
"Why not?" he asked, feeling a little bit hurt.
"Because you have what I want to have," she said. "And you don't even want it."
"What do you mean?" he asked, thinking that she was being crazy again.
"It is not crazy," she said sadly. "To want your Mum and your Papa. Two years ago when I woke up on Christmas morning, they were already awake. Papa had the fire roaring in the hearth and Mum made my favorite breakfast, pancakes in the shape of little men. And then we went to church. It was very lovely. Of course my Phoebe wasn't there. But she had been there the year before, right before she came here."
"Oh," he said.
"We were rather puzzled, you know," she said almost to herself. "She had never been with a family so long. It made no sense to us at all then. The Professor was being such a bother really. We couldn't understand why he wouldn't just get married so that she could come home."
"I never knew that," he said.
"No," she agreed. "None of you children knew. The Professor only learned later, after they were married. But do you see why I am mad at you? All I would like for Christmas is my Mum and Papa. Even it was only for a few minutes. But you have your father right here and you won't even talk to him."
Butch looked at her. Her very blue eyes were looking at him like she could see through him. It made him feel uncomfortable. It was like she knew things about him that even he didn't know. But he knew that she was right.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
She looked back at him with wisdom. It was funny. Even though she was only a little twelve-year-old girl, she seemed much older.
"Be a good son," she said. "Stop blaming your father for not being a good father and be a good son. You cannot make him be a good father, but you can make yourself be a good son."
He looked at her.
"What if he's still not a good father?" he asked her.
Her face grew serious as she thought about that.
"There is only one father who is perfect," she replied. "And that is our Father in heaven. And there was only one son who is perfect, that is the Son born today. Humans can never be perfect. They can only try. The Professor is trying, but you are not. Please try."
With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.
"Maisie will be waking up soon and I should be there for her," she said.
Butch watched as she walked up the stairs. He thought quietly about what she had said. Then he heard the baby crying and everyone starting to move around. He looked back at the Nativity scene and it was almost as if the baby Jesus was saying the same thing to him.
"Be a good son."
Christmas Magic
Catherine had been disappointed when Rob had insisted that they say goodbye to Hal, Phoebe, and the children at the church and let them go home to celebrate Christmas Eve by themselves. She had enjoyed last year when the had been present for all of the lovely traditions as they were passed down to the next generation. But Rob felt that it was important for her to let go.
She didn't want to let go, but she knew that he was right. They would see the family at church tomorrow and then spend the day with them and Tom and Bernice. Phoebe had wanted a quiet Christmas after all the excitement of the previous weeks leading up to it. It seemed as if they had not stopped moving since the christening and even before that.
At breakfast, before they went to church, he gave her Christmas present.
"Catherine," he said. "I know that it will take you a little bit of time to get used to no longer having Trelawney to care for. In order to help you get through it, I have made arrangements for us to have our own South Pacific vacation this January. I would call it a second honeymoon, but I have lost count of the number of second honeymoons that we have had. But on New Year's Day we are going to fly out to Tahiti where we can enjoy a richly deserved rest."
Catherine was stunned. She had no idea of what to say.
"My love," he added. "For the past fifteen months we have been very much embroiled in their lives, but now we need both a the rest and time to ourselves. We need time to reconnect with one another the way that we have reconnected with the grandkids. And don't think that we won't be busy when we return. But I feel that we need this time to catch our breath."
"I don't know what to say, Rob," she finally replied. "This is just so surprising."
"And that's the reason why we need our own get away," he said. "Once upon a time, we used to take little spur of the moment jaunts or just decide to take off somewhere for a week or two. I worked hard so that we could have a comfortable retirement."
"But that doesn't mean that we have to travel for so long," she weakly protested.
"Actually," he reminded her. "It does. Think of all the years while we were raising the boys and then putting them through college that we scrimped and saved to do it. We took family vacations, but it wasn't until Hal was finally out of the house for good that we finally took some time to ourselves. And as long as you were teaching, we couldn't just take off any time we wanted to either."
"Yes, I know, but . . ."
"But what?" he asked. "Are you afraid that Phoebe will discover that she can manage without you? I doubt that very much. Are you afraid that you might miss too much time with Maisie as an infant? If we go by that excuse then we'll never get away for any significant amount of time."
"I know but . . ."
"And don't you remember how we used to relax every night and debrief about the happenings of the day?" he asked. "When was the last time that we did that?"
Catherine thought. She couldn't even remember. She looked at her husband and saw his deep blue eyes looking back at her with a combination of love and amusement. But she had to make one last attempt.
"But won't this be a bit sudden for the family?" she asked tentatively.
Now he laughed.
"Darling," he said. "I told them about it a couple of weeks ago and they all heartily endorsed it. They want us to have time to ourselves and get a rest. And don't even talk about Canada last summer. You spent the whole time fretting about Trelawney and her doll. In fact, Trelawney is the one who is happiest for us. She told me that her Mum and Papa sometimes took little vacations away from her. And she knew that it was because she was so challenging to live with."
"I guess you've thought of everything," she sighed.
"Well, obviously not everything," he replied with a sigh of his own.
She looked back at him quizzically.
"If I had thought of everything then you would be a lot happier about it," he said quietly and left.
Catherine stared at his empty seat. She pushed away her cold cup of tea and realized that she had been so busy thinking of her son's family that she had actually been neglecting her husband. And of course he never complained. Suddenly, she found herself laughing. Rob couldn't have been too far away because he came back in and looked at her curiously.
"After all these months of lecturing my son about neglecting his wife and kids," she admitted. "I have just discovered that I have been doing the same thing myself."
He smiled.
"Well, dear," he said. "You know what they say about apples and trees."
"Yes, I do," she said. "But I almost feel like I owe Hal an apology."
"No you don't," he said quickly. "Let Hal continue to feel guilty. It will keep him in line while we're away."
"I suppose so," she replied.
"Well," he said. "Let's get ready for church. Put on your Sunday best and your brightest smile. You know that there will be seven people there waiting to see how happy you are with your Christmas present."
Rob was certainly right about that. When they arrived at church, Hal, Phoebe and the kids were sitting in a line in one row. All heads turned them as they walked in, all the children beaming, even Maisie. After the service Prudence came running up to them.
"Grammy!" she said. "How did you like your surprise Christmas present?"
"I loved it, dear," she replied with her own big smile.
"And I didn't even tattle about it!" she said proudly.
"Boy," said Butch. "I bet that was the biggest surprise of all!"
But Catherine just stared at him. He was actually being polite and well, normal. That was the biggest surprise of all. She looked at Phoebe, who shrugged. It was coffee hour and as usual, the kids were running around while the adults chatted. Maisie, now over four months old, looked around at them as if she wanted to join in. Trelawney quietly walked over to her and tugged at her hand. She followed her off to the side.
"Thank you, Mama Kate," she said seriously.
"For what, dear?"
"For letting me go back home to my Phoebe," she replied. "I know that you love me very much and I just want you to know that you will always be my Mama Kate."
She then threw her arms around her and gave her a big hug. Catherine could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that in some odd way, Trelawney was a kind of a long lost grandchild. And now she needed a present day grandmother. She would never have another mother or father, but grandparents are different. You can never have too many.
Just as Phoebe had wished, the day was low key, with little emphasis on presents and lots on family. Tom and Bernice joined them at the house around two and they distributed presents. After seeing the overindulgence at the christening, the gifts were very simple. Bernice had framed a picture of each child as an infant with their mother for each of them. For Trelawney there was a picture that Tom had taken of her, Phoebe, and Maisie at the christening. Her hands trembled as she held it and she gave Bernice a big hug.
As a gift to her and Rob, she had framed a larger picture of them with Hal and his family and Ben and Bob. It was very touching and a true peace offering. She had not thought to give them a gift, but Rob had. He had carved a beautiful triptych frame that included pictures of the three grandchildren at various ages. For the first time since she had known her, Catherine finally felt kindly toward her old rival.
The Noah's ark that Uncle David had brought for Trelawney was a delight for all of the children. Unlike the dollhouse, she was only too happy to share it with them. Rob looked at the beautifully carved animals and shook his head.
"I could never create anything so detailed," he commented. "Your Papa was certainly a master craftsman."
"Yes, he was," said Trelawney seriously. "He loved to make toys and he wanted them to be enjoyed by children. I am sure that many children will enjoy playing with this."
But for Trelawney, Phoebe had asked David to bring a most special gift. When she opened up the little box, she gasped.
"Phoebe!" she exclaimed. "This is Mum's charm bracelet, the one that she got from Grandmother Rose. It should be yours because you are oldest."
"If you want to look at it that way," Phoebe answered. "Then I am choosing to give it to you. I know that Mum would want you to have it, and so does Maisie."
As if on cue, Maisie gave Trelawney a big smile. Trelawney ran over and gave them each a big kiss. Then she waited anxiously as Phoebe latched it onto her slender wrist. She turned it over and looked at each charm individually. The expression on her face was caught somewhere between radiant joy and deep sorrow. Catherine could only wonder if the little girl who wanted everyone else to be happy, would ever herself be truly happy again.
She noticed her son looking at her with a very deep affection. She suspected that his feelings toward her were more than a little paternal. He called her over to look at it and put his arm around her as she leaned against him. As he turned it around looking at each charm, she turned and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she leaned her head on his shoulder. Rob tapped her on the shoulder to make sure that she was taking note. The two had rebuilt their relationship of trust.
Later that evening, after they had discussed the day and all the wonderful feelings and relationships that they had shared he made a very astute observation.
"Too often people look for 'Christmas miracles' as some sort of supernatural occurrence. But truly, Christmas miracles are created by the hard work of those who refuse to give up on any other human being a being lost. That is Trelawney and Phoebe's magic in its essence. Nothing is impossible, if you have love and faith."
Epilogue
It was Christmas night and Phoebe and Hal sat comfortably together in front of the fire. They had just tucked the five children into bed, the boys in their room, Prudence in her room, and Trelawney and Maisie in what was now their room. Trelawney was satisfied to have the nightlight on and that of course did not bother the baby who was too young to know better. Quarters were tight, but she was now surrounded by some of the things that she loved from home.
The handmade patchwork quilt from their bed at home was on the bed. Her dollhouse was set in one corner and the Noah's ark in the other. Her two bookshelves, once again overflowing with books were on one wall. The crib where Maisie slept was beside her bed. The needlepoint pillows that their Mum had made years ago sat in the rocker. Her childhood china tea set was up in a cabinet on the other wall.
She had slept soundly in her bed the night before, but she had been so excited by the day that they had a difficult time settling her. Her moods were a challenge, but she did not dare take her to a doctor. Any medication that they gave her to stabilize her moods would undoubtedly interfere with the very essence of her being. Thankfully, everyone had come to accept her as she was.
"Do you remember our first Christmas together two years ago?" asked Hal.
"When you came home on Christmas Eve completely drunk and then had a royal hangover the next day?"
"Yes," he said seriously. "That Christmas. Do you know that that was the first time that I saw you as anything other than Nanny?"
She thought for a moment and then answered.
"Yes," she said. "And I do believe that it was the first time that I thought of you as anything other than the Professor."
"There were so many things about you that I didn't know then," he said. "And there are still many things that I don't know."
"There were so many things that I didn't know about you then," she replied. "And there are still many things that I don't know."
"I know one thing," he said with a smile.
She returned his smile.
"We are no longer Nanny and the Professor."
The End
This will be the last in the continuing series of stories that I have written for "Nanny and the Professor."
I am "spinning off" the story lines of my own characters primarily Pastor Jason, Trelawney, and Topher, but also my original Figalilly characters and other friends onto the website where their story lines will pick up as a "prequel" to this collection of stories. Eventually, those stories will feed into the "dangling threads" of this storyline.
Those of you who have been following from the beginning will recognize the reworked stories, but for new readers, the present storyline will be much richer for having the background.
The original "Nanny" characters have been renamed and reworked. These stories and characters have evolved so far from the original series that they are barely recognizable to series viewers who have not followed them from the beginning.
The new series of stories is published under my pen name and titled "The Children of Light." These stories focus more heavily on angels, archetypes, and mysticism. The audience is intended to be young adult Christian readers. This series has been fun, but it is time to move on. I hope that you have enjoyed it!